Language+development+and+Learning+Work+Samples

Dis maks my teacha cry []

This article discusses the phenomenon which they call “text speech”. In other words, the type of language and abbreviations often used in text messages. The article addresses different schools of thought regarding text language. Some people think it is positive as, at the very least, it influences students to write. Others feel that the fact that they use this slang so frequently means it will bleed into academic and professional work and cause the students to be perceived as people with low literacy skills. It is also apparent that students are more likely to use this slang when they are in a pressure inducing situation such as a standardized test.

Schulten, K. (1999). Huck Finn: Born to trouble. //English Journal, 89, 2.// Available online at: []

This article discusses the curriculum one school, Cherry Hill, chose to use to teach the novel Huckleberry Finn. Students, teachers, and parents came together and tried to find solutions to common concerns. Instead of banning the book, Cherry Hill found a way to address everyone’s concerns and create a curriculum that was stimulating and literary as well as culturally conscious. The curriculum consists of teaching the book while also discussing the history, politics, and stereotypes surrounding the novel and the characters within it.

Kerry Storace November 23, 2014 CTGE 5531 Sentence Gems “I saw them then- pigeons, not water. But whatever relief I felt at seeing birds, it dissipated when that winged mass drew a shade on the sun. I tell you, it was night at three o’clock in the afternoon. My world snapped into a box. The air staled. A kind of sleet (the birds’ dung) fell from that winged ceiling” (Timberlake 13). I chose this sentence because it provokes feeling for the reader. The author uses metaphors and similes (winged sky, dung like sleet, etc.). The author also uses the character’s dialect (“I tell you…”) to create tension in the scene. The reader can not only picture the action, they can feel it and smell it and imagine their reaction. “And as much as I’d like to believe there’s a truth beyond illusion, I’ve come to believe that there’s no truth beyond illusion. Because, between ‘reality’ on the one hand, and the point where the mind strikes reality, there’s a middle zone, a rainbow edge where beauty comes into being, where two very different surfaces mingle and blur to provide what life does not: and this is the space where all art exists, and all magic” (Tartt 770). I chose this sentence because the author uses imagery to explain a concept. In other words, it is impossible to define why art speaks to us but the author has used actual objects and descriptors (middle zone, rainbow edge, surfaces, etc.) to describe why art is important. When this passage is read within the context of the novel, it provokes an intense emotional response from the reader. It allows the reader to picture a feeling. Sources Cited: Timberlake, Amy, and David Homer. //One Came Home//. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2013. Print. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">Tartt, Donna. //The Goldfinch//. New York City: Little, Brown and Company, 2013. Print.

Kerry Storace December 8, 2014 CTGE 5531 Lesson Reflection I chose to teach my 7th grade ELA class a lesson on run-on sentences. This is an issue that arises in many student essays. There are also multiple ways of correcting them. I made many edits to my lesson plan after creating the rough draft. In fact, I even made some changes on the spot although nothing drastic; of course. The run-on sentence lesson was the last portion of a 1.5 hour class (the grammar lesson was about 30-35 minutes). I actually taught the majority of the class myself. We began by discussing Sudan which connects to the text we are reading. We had a discussion about refugee camps and looked at some photos. I think that at the time I began my run-on sentence lesson students were starting to lose focus. Because of this, I think my first activity was helpful. Because people were working as partners or in groups, it gave them the chance to collaborate and talk to each other. I also think the physical act of cutting the sentences can invigorate the students because it involves movement. This is also where I made my “on the spot” modification: instead of students using scissors to separate the run-on sentences, they just tore them in half. In terms of time, material, and general confusion this is an easier and more efficient strategy. Most students found the activity fairly simple but their essays do not always reflect that. The next section of the agenda was more difficult. I used this time to explain to the students that there are three ways to separate a run-on sentence: semicolons, periods, or commas with a connecting word. I gave them a detailed 10 minute talk about the sentences and I had them participate but, as class was almost over, they were beginning to lose focus. In the end, due to time constraints, most students were only able to finish the first question in their questionnaire.